New Me

The 365 Journey

Outline Week 33

Ezekiel 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 

We all at times want a make over. We want a fresh start, a change, basically a new me. But, soon we find alterations and adjustment to our physique, behavior and even our mental state, my not produce a permanent change. We need a "new me" that lasts.

Our text tells us that the enduring change that we seek can and will happen when we consider:

Our Nature

the heart of stone

This is a heart that is rebellious and resistant to the things of God. It is a callous and corrupt heart that seeks only its interests and desires. Directed by a Adamic sinful nature, it leads its bearer to sinful behavior that will not change until there is a heart change. There cannot be a "new me" until the "old me" is removed.

Our Need

I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh

We can't delight in the things of God when our "heart of stone" leads us to reject Him and His ways. Thus, we need to remove our innate immovable stoney heart and have it replaced with a pliable fleshly heart. God alone must do this. He must give us a new heart and new spirit that we might have a "new me".

Our Newness

And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them . . . that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 

Our text outlines the source and the specifics of the "new me"

The Source of the New Me

And I will give them . . . I will put within them . . . I will remove . . . (I) give them . . . I will be their God.  Throughout the text we find the hand of God moving to remove the heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh. We have no capability or capacity to make ourselves new. Regardless of all our efforts to "improve" ourselves nothing really changes until God changes us. A new heart makes a "new you". We must cry out to Him to be forever changed.

The Specifics of the New Me

a new spirit I will put within them . . . that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 

In the text we are given the evidential proofs of the "New me". Because of our new heart we have a change in our

Desires . . . in a new spirit I will put within them . . . the Holy Spirit transforms us and our desires. Where once we detested the Lord, now we delight in Him. Our new heart has redirected our desires.

Direction . . . that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. Where once we were intolerant of the ways of God , now we walk in them. Our new heart has changed our direction.

Devotion And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. Where once we abhorred the Lord, now we adore Him. Our new heart has changed our affections. We are devoted to Him.

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